Fifty years ago George Meakin, while visiting relatives in Belgium,
decided to look for a club in order to play a game of table tennis.
He found TTK Schoten, in a town on the outskirts of Antwerp,
where he was made to feel extremely welcome. The rest is
history.
Over the many years since, despite George’s passing, firm
friendships have developed, nurtured by bi-annual visits involving
George’s beloved Windsor TTC (of Clacton-On-Sea, Essex) and
TTK Schoten.
During the weekend of 7th, 8th and 9th June, Windsor TTC once
again welcomed their friends from TTK Schoten, for the latest in
the series of visits. The 17 Belgian guests stayed with their host
families. This included Jenny Higgins, George’s daughter.
Over the course of a long weekend, the table tennis players and
friends enjoyed both singles and doubles tournaments, a disco,
karaoke and a friendly game of snooker, as well as much
socialising, eating and drinking. Gifts including a Friendship
trophy were exchanged. 
New friendships were made and old friendships renewed. It has
been a wonderful example of people from different cultures and
countries coming together, thanks to their mutual love of the
game of table tennis. Windsor Table Tennis Club will hopefully
travel, as invited, over to Schoten in two years’ time.

Report by Sharon Gowlett